About Iola Car Show
The Iola Car Show: America’s Greatest Classic Car Event
What began in 1972 as a small gathering of about 20 cars in a baseball field has grown into one of the most celebrated automotive events in the world — the Iola Car Show & Swap Meet. Founded by Chet Krause as a promotional event for his new publication, Old Cars Weekly, and Krause Publications, the show quickly became a fixture in the collector car community and a summer tradition for enthusiasts nationwide.
By the mid-1980s, Iola’s phenomenal growth led to its incorporation as a non-profit organization, a distinction it proudly maintains today. The event now spans a 325-acre campus in the small Wisconsin town of Iola — population 1,200 — and each July, it welcomes over 120,000 attendees from around the globe.
The Iola Car Show is a world-class celebration of automotive passion, featuring:
- 4,000 swap vendor spaces brimming with parts and memorabilia
- 2,500 show cars spanning generations of design and innovation
- 400 car corral spaces showcasing vehicles for sale
- A campground with nearly 1,500 sites, creating a vibrant festival atmosphere
Each year, the event comes alive with national sponsors, themed exhibits, concerns and celebrity guests, making Iola a must-attend three-day destination for car lovers.
Behind the scenes, Iola’s success is powered by people — more than 1,300 volunteers representing 120 civic and non-profit organizations, whose efforts have generated over $10 million for community causes. The show is overseen by a local board of directors with officers elected by nine member service organizations. The operational team is led by Executive Director Joe Opperman, an Iola native who grew up in the heart of the show, alongside Managing Director and Marketing Lead Ali Johnson (“Ali from Iola”), and Senior Advisor of Show Operations Larry Fechter, whose leadership and legacy continue to inspire the team.
Of course, the event’s ongoing success is also thanks to the dedicated office staff and Pit Crew — the hardworking, salt-of-the-earth Midwesterners who bring the show to life each year. Their commitment, craftsmanship, and can-do spirit drive the countless moving parts that make the Iola Car Show the extraordinary experience it is today.
For more than five decades, the Iola Car Show has stood as a world-class celebration of automotive history, community spirit, and pure Americana — truly one of the greatest classic car events anywhere.
